Chaucer's Works-The Canterbury Tales Part 14

geerful; Hl. grisful; _rest_ gerful. 1539. Hl. wyke; Hn. Cp. wike; Pt. Ln. weke; Cm. wouke; E. wowke.

Whan that Arcite had songe, he gan to syke, 1540 And sette him doun with-outen any more: 'Alas!' quod he, 'that day that I was bore!

How longe, Iuno, thurgh thy crueltee, Woltow werreyen Thebes the citee?

Allas! y-broght is to confusioun 1545 The blood royal of Cadme and Amphioun; Of Cadmus, which that was the firste man That Thebes bulte, or first the toun bigan, 690 And of the citee first was crouned king, Of his linage am I, and his of-spring 1550 By verray ligne, as of the stok royal: And now I am so caitif and so thral, That he, that is my mortal enemy, I serve him as his squyer povrely.

And yet doth Iuno me wel more shame, 1555 For I dar noght biknowe myn owne name; But ther-as I was wont to highte Arcite, Now highte I Philostrate, noght worth a myte. 700 Allas! thou felle Mars, allas! Iuno, Thus hath your ire our kinrede al fordo, 1560 Save only me, and wrecched Palamoun, That Theseus martyreth in prisoun.

And over al this, to sleen me utterly, Love hath his fyry dart so brenningly Y-stiked thurgh my trewe careful herte, 1565 [46: T. 1568-1602.]

That shapen was my deeth erst than my sherte.

Ye sleen me with your eyen, Emelye; Ye been the cause wherfor that I dye. (710) Of al the remenant of myn other care Ne sette I nat the mountaunce of a tare, 1570 So that I coude don aught to your plesaunce!'

And with that word he fil doun in a traunce A longe tyme; and after he up-sterte.

1551. Cm. Pt. Hl. lyne. 1556. Cp. Pt. Ln. Hl. owne; E. owene. 1557.

highte] Hl. hote. 1560. E. kynrede; _rest_ lynage (lignage). 1563.

Hl. vtterly; E. outrely. 1573. _So_ E.; _rest_ afterward (_for_ after). Hl. _om_ he.

This Palamoun, that thoughte that thurgh his herte He felte a cold swerd sodeynliche glyde, 1575 For ire he quook, no lenger wolde he byde.

And whan that he had herd Arcites tale, As he were wood, with face deed and pale, (720) He sterte him up out of the buskes thikke, And seyde: 'Arcite, false traitour wikke, 1580 Now artow hent, that lovest my lady so, For whom that I have al this peyne and wo, And art my blood, and to my counseil sworn, As I ful ofte have told thee heer-biforn, And hast by-iaped here duk Theseus, 1585 And falsly chaunged hast thy name thus; I wol be deed, or elles thou shalt dye.

Thou shalt nat love my lady Emelye, (730) But I wol love hir only, and namo; For I am Palamoun, thy mortal fo. 1590 And though that I no wepne have in this place, But out of prison am astert by grace, I drede noght that outher thou shalt dye, Or thou ne shalt nat loven Emelye.

Chees which thou wilt, for thou shalt nat asterte.' 1595

1579. Hl. bussches; Cm. boschis; Ln. boskes. 1581. E. Hn. artow; _rest_ art thou. 1584. told] E. Cm. seyd. 1589. E. Hn. namo; Hl.

Cm. no mo. 1595. E. Hn. wolt. Hl. for; _rest_ or.

This Arcite, with ful despitous herte, Whan he him knew, and hadde his tale herd, As fiers as leoun, pulled out a swerd, (740) And seyde thus: 'by G.o.d that sit above, Nere it that thou art sik, and wood for love, 1600 [47: T. 1603-1639.]

And eek that thou no wepne hast in this place, Thou sholdest never out of this grove pace, That thou ne sholdest dyen of myn hond.

For I defye the seurtee and the bond Which that thou seyst that I have maad to thee. 1605 What, verray fool, think wel that love is free, And I wol love hir, maugre al thy might!

But, for as muche thou art a worthy knight, (750) And wilnest to darreyne hir by batayle, Have heer my trouthe, to-morwe I wol nat fayle, 1610 With-outen witing of any other wight, That here I wol be founden as a knight, And bringen harneys right y-nough for thee; And chees the beste, and leve the worste for me.

And mete and drinke this night wol I bringe 1615 Y-nough for thee, and clothes for thy beddinge.

And, if so be that thou my lady winne, And slee me in this wode ther I am inne, (760) Thou mayst wel have thy lady, as for me.'

This Palamon answerde: 'I graunte it thee.' 1620 And thus they been departed til a-morwe, When ech of hem had leyd his feith to borwe.

1598. E. Hn. his; _rest_ a. 1599. E. sit; Cm. set; _rest_ sitteth.

1604. Hl. seurte; Cp. sewrte; E. seurete; Hn. seuretee. 1609. Cp.

derreyne; Hl. dereyne. 1614. Hn. chees; Cm. Hl. ches; _rest_ chese.

O Cupide, out of alle charitee!

O regne, that wolt no felawe have with thee!

Ful sooth is seyd, that love ne lords.h.i.+pe 1625 Wol noght, his thankes, have no felawes.h.i.+pe; Wel finden that Arcite and Palamoun.

Arcite is riden anon un-to the toun, (770) And on the morwe, er it were dayes light, Ful prively two harneys hath he dight, 1630 Bothe suffisaunt and mete to darreyne The bataille in the feeld bitwix hem tweyne.

And on his hors, allone as he was born, He carieth al this harneys him biforn; And in the grove, at tyme and place y-set, 1635 This Arcite and this Palamon ben met.

Tho chaungen gan the colour in hir face; [48: T. 1640-1675.]

Right as the hunter in the regne of Trace, (780) That stondeth at the gappe with a spere, Whan hunted is the leoun or the bere, 1640 And hereth him come russ.h.i.+ng in the greves, And breketh bothe bowes and the leves, And thinketh, 'heer cometh my mortel enemy, With-oute faile, he moot be deed, or I; For outher I mot sleen him at the gappe, 1645 Or he mot sleen me, if that me mishappe:'

So ferden they, in chaunging of hir hewe, As fer as everich of hem other knewe. (790) Ther nas no good day, ne no saluing; But streight, with-outen word or rehersing, 1650 Everich of hem halp for to armen other, As freendly as he were his owne brother; And after that, with sharpe speres stronge They foynen ech at other wonder longe.

Thou mightest wene that this Palamoun 1655 In his fighting were a wood leoun, And as a cruel tygre was Arcite: As wilde bores gonne they to smyte, (800) That frothen whyte as foom for ire wood.

Up to the ancle foghte they in hir blood. 1660 And in this wyse I lete hem fighting dwelle; And forth I wol of Theseus yow telle.

1626. E. hir; _rest_ his. 1634. E. the; Hn. Cm. Hl. this. 1637. Hl.

Tho; _rest_ To. 1638. Hl. honter_us_; _rest_ hunters, hunterys; _ed._ 1542, hunter. 1640. E. and; _rest_ or. 1651. Cm. halp; Cp. hilp; E.

Hn. heelp; Hl. Pt. helpeth; Ln. helpe. Hl. Ln. _om._ for. 1652. E.

owene. 1656. Tyrwhitt _ins._ as _bef._ a. 1659. E. Hn. whit.

1660. E. anclee. 1662. E. wole.

The destinee, ministre general, That executeth in the world over-al The purveyaunce, that G.o.d hath seyn biforn, 1665 So strong it is, that, though the world had sworn The contrarie of a thing, by ye or nay, Yet somtyme it shal fallen on a day (810) That falleth nat eft with-inne a thousand yere.

For certeinly, our appetytes here, 1670 Be it of werre, or pees, or hate, or love, Al is this reuled by the sighte above.

This mene I now by mighty Theseus, [49: T. 1676-1712.]

That for to honten is so desirous, And namely at the grete hert in May, 1675 That in his bed ther daweth him no day, That he nis clad, and redy for to ryde With hunte and horn, and houndes him bisyde. (820) For in his hunting hath he swich delyt, That it is al his Ioye and appetyt 1680 To been him-self the grete hertes bane; For after Mars he serveth now Diane.

1672. this] Hl. it.

Cleer was the day, as I have told er this, And Theseus, with alle Ioye and blis, With his Ipolita, the fayre quene, 1685 And Emelye, clothed al in grene, On hunting be they riden royally.

And to the grove, that stood ful faste by, (830) In which ther was an hert, as men him tolde, Duk Theseus the streighte wey hath holde. 1690 And to the launde he rydeth him ful right, For thider was the hert wont have his flight, And over a brook, and so forth on his weye.

This duk wol han a cours at him, or tweye, With houndes, swiche as that him list comaunde. 1695

1693. E. Hl. in; _rest_ on. 1695. Hn. Cp. Pt. that; _rest om._

And whan this duk was come un-to the launde, Under the sonne he loketh, and anon He was war of Arcite and Palamon, (840) That foughten breme, as it were bores two; The brighte swerdes wenten to and fro 1700 So hidously, that with the leeste strook It seemed as it wolde felle an ook; But what they were, no-thing he ne woot.

This duk his courser with his spores smoot, And at a stert he was bitwix hem two, 1705 And pulled out a swerd and cryed, 'ho!

Namore, up peyne of lesing of your heed.

By mighty Mars, he shal anon be deed, (850) That smyteth any strook, that I may seen!

But telleth me what mister men ye been, 1710 [50: T. 1713-1749.]

That been so hardy for to fighten here With-outen Iuge or other officere, As it were in a listes royally?'

1699. E. Cm. Hl. bores; _rest_ boles. 1702. E. fille. 1706. E.

cride; Hn. Cp. Pt. cryed. 1707. E. Hn. Ln. vp-on; _rest_ vp. 1710.

Hn. Cm. Cp. Pt. myster; E. mystiers; Ln. mester; Hl. mestir.

This Palamon answerde hastily, And seyde: 'sire, what nedeth wordes mo? 1715 We have the deeth deserved bothe two.

Two woful wrecches been we, two caytyves, That been encombred of our owne lyves; (860) And as thou art a rightful lord and Iuge, Ne yeve us neither mercy ne refuge, 1720 But slee me first, for seynte charitee; But slee my felawe eek as wel as me.

Or slee him first; for, though thou knowe it lyte, This is thy mortal fo, this is Arcite, That fro thy lond is banished on his heed, 1725 For which he hath deserved to be deed.

For this is he that cam un-to thy gate, And seyde, that he highte Philostrate. (870) Thus hath he Iaped thee ful many a yeer, And thou has maked him thy chief squyer; 1730 And this is he that loveth Emelye.

For sith the day is come that I shal dye, I make pleynly my confessioun, That I am thilke woful Palamoun, That hath thy prison broken wikkedly. 1735 I am thy mortal fo, and it am I That loveth so hote Emelye the brighte, That I wol dye present in hir sighte. (880) Therfore I axe deeth and my Iuwyse; But slee my felawe in the same wyse, 1740 For bothe han we deserved to be slayn.'

1716. E. Hn. disserued. 1718. E. Hn. Cm. owene. 1723. Hl. Hn.

knowe; _rest_ knowest. 1741. Ln. Hl. we haue.

This worthy duk answerde anon agayn, And seyde, 'This is a short conclusioun: Youre owne mouth, by your confessioun, Hath dampned you, and I wol it recorde, 1745 It nedeth noght to pyne yow with the corde.

Ye shul be deed, by mighty Mars the rede!'

[51: T. 1750-1787.]

The quene anon, for verray wommanhede, (890) Gan for to wepe, and so dide Emelye, And alle the ladies in the companye. 1750 Gret pitee was it, as it thoughte hem alle, That ever swich a chaunce sholde falle; For gentil men they were, of greet estat, And no-thing but for love was this debat; And sawe hir blody woundes wyde and sore; 1755 And alle cryden, bothe la.s.se and more, 'Have mercy, lord, up-on us wommen alle!'

And on hir bare knees adoun they falle, (900) And wolde have kist his feet ther-as he stood, Til at the laste aslaked was his mood; 1760 For pitee renneth sone in gentil herte.

And though he first for ire quook and sterte, He hath considered shortly, in a clause, The trespas of hem bothe, and eek the cause: And al-though that his ire hir gilt accused, 1765 Yet in his reson he hem bothe excused; As thus: he thoghte wel, that every man Wol helpe him-self in love, if that he can, (910) And eek delivere him-self out of prisoun; And eek his herte had compa.s.sioun 1770 Of wommen, for they wepen ever in oon; And in his gentil herte he thoghte anoon, And softe un-to himself he seyde: 'fy Up-on a lord that wol have no mercy, But been a leoun, bothe in word and dede, 1775 To hem that been in repentaunce and drede As wel as to a proud despitous man That wol maynteyne that he first bigan! (920) That lord hath litel of discrecioun, That in swich cas can no divisioun, 1780 But weyeth pryde and humblesse after oon.'

And shortly, whan his ire is thus agoon, He gan to loken up with eyen lighte, And spak thise same wordes al on highte:-- The G.o.d of love, a! _benedicite_, 1785 [52: T. 1788-1823.]

How mighty and how greet a lord is he!

Ayeins his might ther gayneth none obstacles, He may be cleped a G.o.d for his miracles; (930) For he can maken at his owne gyse Of everich herte, as that him list devyse. 1790 Lo heer, this Arcite and this Palamoun, That quitly weren out of my prisoun, And mighte han lived in Thebes royally, And witen I am hir mortal enemy, And that hir deeth lyth in my might also, 1795 And yet hath love, maugree hir eyen two, Y-broght hem hider bothe for to dye!

Now loketh, is nat that an heigh folye? (940) Who may been a fool, but-if he love?

Bihold, for G.o.ddes sake that sit above, 1800 Se how they blede! be they noght wel arrayed?

Thus hath hir lord, the G.o.d of love, y-payed Hir wages and hir fees for hir servyse!

And yet they wenen for to been ful wyse That serven love, for aught that may bifalle! 1805 But this is yet the beste game of alle, That she, for whom they han this Iolitee, Can hem ther-for as muche thank as me; (950) She woot namore of al this hote fare, By G.o.d, than woot a c.o.kkow or an hare! 1810 But al mot been a.s.sayed, hoot and cold; A man mot been a fool, or yong or old; I woot it by my-self ful yore agoon: For in my tyme a servant was I oon.

And therfore, sin I knowe of loves peyne, 1815 And woot how sore it can a man distreyne, As he that hath ben caught ofte in his las, I yow foryeve al hoolly this trespas, (960) At requeste of the quene that kneleth here, And eek of Emelye, my suster dere. 1820 And ye shul bothe anon un-to me swere, [53: T. 1824-1859.]

That never-mo ye shul my contree dere, Ne make werre up-on me night ne day, But been my freendes in al that ye may; I yow foryeve this trespas every del.' 1825 And they him swore his axing fayre and wel, And him of lords.h.i.+pe and of mercy preyde, And he hem graunteth grace, and thus he seyde: (970)